NSW Cup Trial

The Magpies will hit the paddock again in 2012 in a NSW Cup trial at Brookvale Oval for yes... you guessed it... a Fibros v Silvertails match. This will be Trevors first game as a coach and the first real chance he will get to see how his team is preparing for the clubs 105th season.

Manly have planned to hold a double header on Saturday, February 18^th. with Manly U/20’s first against Cabramatta @ 3.30pm followed by Manly NSW Cup v Wests Magpies NSW CUP side @ 5.45pm

Campbelltown Advertiser - Trevor Schodel

New coach settles in Leo's sudden replacement

BY PAUL HAIGH 14 Dec, 2011 01:00 AM

TREVOR Schodel is the new coach of the Western Suburbs Magpies NSW Cup rugby league team.

Just two weeks ago he was saddling up as the St George SG Ball Cup coach again for 2012.

But then he heard the Magpies' coaching job was up for grabs with the previous incumbent Leo Epifania drafted to Balmain as assistant coach of their NSW Cup side in 2012.

"It all happened very fast," the Mackay-born footballer said.

"I applied for the job and got it."
Schodel, a proud Queenslander, was thrilled to be given the chance to coach the Magpies.
"I've only been in the job a little more than a week," the former halfback said.
"The Dragons were very good about it all. I was set to coach there again but I'm here."

Schodel is a former Cronulla, Canberra, Newtown and Wentworthville Magpies halfback who also brings with him years of knowledge playing under many fine coaches. Before coming to Sydney he played with Valleys in the Brisbane competition and the late and great Arthur Beetson, when he coached Cronulla in 1992 and 1993, brought Schodel to Sydney.

"My first coaching role was with Wentworthville under-15s in the Parramatta junior league and we were able to win the competition that year. I was still playing with Wenty at the time," he said.

Schodel sees his NSW Cup role in many different lights. NRL club Wests Tigers have two NSW cups to draw talent from at the Magpies and Balmain.

"There are experienced players and young players on the way up who are playing in the NSW Cup," Schodel said.
"It's an important level of football."

It has not yet been determined by Tigers which players who don't get selected in the NRL top 17 squad for game day either drop back to the Magpies or Balmain NSW Cup squads.
The Magpies' football office is on the ground floor of the Whitlam Leisure Centre and they train at Hillier Oval at Liverpool.

The Magpies' opening game next year is on Saturday, March 3, against Manly at Campbelltown Sportsground at 6pm. They're also chasing more sponsors.

Details: Magpies chairman Paul Dillion, 0409 385 484. Players wanting an opportunity: Trevor Schodel, 0408 235 563.

Chronicle - Trevor Schodel joins Western Suburbs Magpies

ALTHOUGH a “shire” resident now, Queensland-born Trevor Schodel developed his passion for rugby league from one of the best in the business.

Tommy Raudonikis (pictured) coached the young Schodel in the Queensland Residents’ team, but his heart was always with the Magpies and he often recounted stories from the old days for the young Queenslanders.

It was that passion that Schodel recalled when he heard the Western Suburbs Magpies coaching job was up for grabs.

“My ears pricked up. It was a chance to coach a NSW Cup team and a foundation club,” he said.

“I also thought of Tommy and his love of the club,” Schodel said.

The future of the Magpies has been precarious at best for several seasons, and Schodel knows he has an uphill battle as the club struggles not just to keep its senior team afloat but also be competitive on the field.

“One guy in rugby league told me I had the hardest job in the world ahead of me,” he said.

“I know it’s a challenge for myself and the players. I’m under no delusions - but our one goal is that we will be competitive.

“I’m not saying we will win the grand final but we will be competitive.”

Schodel already has attracted ex-Cronulla pair Eddie Sua and Nigel Millgate to wear the black and white next season. After a coaching stint in Group 6 several years ago, he recognises the talent in the Country Rugby League competition and said he will keep an eye on players ready to make the transition to the next level.

Prospective sponsors can contact club chairman Paul Dillion on 0409 385 484.

Article from the Macarthur Chronicle
http://macarthur-chronicle-wollondilly.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/trevor-schodel-joins-western-suburbs-magpies/

Supporters View: David Harris

Like his team mate Troy O'Sullivan, the granite like and nuggety David Harris is a whole hearted 80 minute player who never gives an inch. He is typical old fashioned-type workhorse player who alternated between lock and second row during 2011 who is not unlike a very young Les Boyd (circa 1976). He charges into the much bigger opposing forward packs without fear and brings down those same forwards with crunching tackles. David is as tough as they come who shows controlled aggression but never takes a backward step (as Manly halfback Liam Foran found out in their clash at Campbelltown this year). I remember the game against Canterbury at Crest Stadium this year were the magpies lost in the last 90 secs, David was in the thick of the action and suffered a hand injury late in the game but refused to leave the field. He was totally exhausted after the match and like all the magpie players that day, was totally distraught having lost that game. The fact that David was leading the NSW Cup player of the year award up to the final round and then missed the final game through injury ( and he would have been seriosuly injured not to have played ) just about says it all about him. He is also a local magpie having played his junior football at the Campbellown City Kangaroos before having a brief stint the the Canterbury juniors. David should be knocking at the door for selection in the Wests Tigers forward pack in 2012. Let's hope so.

2012 - Western Suburbs Magpies 25 Years at Campbelltown

When the Western Suburbs Magpies run out onto Campbelltown Stadium to do battle in 2012 VB NSW Cup, it will mark 25 years since the magpies made Campbelltown their new home when they took on defending premiers Parramatta on 7th March 1987 at what was then called, Orana Park.

After several court battles to stay in the NSWRL competition starting in 1983, the magpies finally found a permanent place to call home, at Orana Park Campbelltown, leaving behind the wonderful memories of Lidcombe Oval as the club agreed, as did the NSWRL at the time, that the south-west frontier of Macarthur needed to have rugby league team based there full time and it would be the saviour in letting the magpies remain in the competition for the long term (that was the thinking at the time).

For the record, the magpies tore apart the defending premiers to win 32 to 16 with a couple of late tries to the eels making the score a little more respectable from their point of view.

The Wests team that day was captained by current NRL salary cap auditor, Ian Schubert and was coached by current Mounties coach, Steve Ghosn.

The full side that day was -

Fullback: R Pethybridge
Winger: S McCoy
Centre: B Gale
Centre: I Naden
Winger: A Geelan
Five Eighth: B Davis
Halfback: T Cogger
Lock: I Schubert (capt)
Second Row: J Bilbija
Second Row: J Elias
Prop: L White
Hooker: A Fallah
Prop: G Webster

Replacements:
I Freeman for J Bilbija
C Ellis for G Webster
D Rawlings for I Naden
W Lambkin for J Elias

Scorers were:
Wests 32 ( A Geelan 2 tries, S McCoy, I Naden, I Schubert, R Pethybridge tries: I Naden 2 goals, B Davis 1 goal: I Naden 2 field goals )
Parramatta 16 ( G Atkins, S Ella tries: S Ella 4 goals )
Half time: Wests 12 Parramatta 4

The referee was Bill Harrigan and the crowd was a very healthy 10057. The eels won both reserve grade and the u23's.

Whilst the club rejoiced at their first triumph at Campbelltown that year, the rest of the season crumbled to the point were the magpies finished last winning just 5 games ( 4 of them at Campbelltown - Easts 17 to 4, Penrith 16 to 8, Balmain 14 to 10 plus the eels game) and 2 draws ( 4 all against souths at the SCG and 28 all against the sharks at Campbelltown) and Steve Ghosn being replaced as coach for the 1988 season by Laurie Frier.

What may not be as well known is that the magpies played 1 game at Orana Park during the 1986 season against the Arthur Beetson coached Eastern Suburbs roosters. The game, which was actually a roosters home game due the ongoing construction of the SFS, was the round 13 clash on June 14 and was won by the magpies 16 to 14 with the magpies containing a few Englishmen - Lee Crooks (1 try and 2 goals), Deryck Fox and Des Drummond.

Players wanted for NSW Cup Trials

Western Suburbs Magpies have appointed former Canberra Raider, Trevor Schodel, as their coach for the 2012 VB NSW Cup season.

Schodel, who was St George SG Ball assistant coach in 2010 and head coach of their SG Ball in 2011, takes over from Leo Epifania, who has joined Paul Fletcher at Balmain Ryde-Eastwood.

Western Suburbs will be holding open trials in the coming months and any interested players are asked to contact Trevor on 0408 235 563.

2011 PLAYER OF THE YEAR - TROY O'SULLIVAN

Troy O'Sullivan - utility back/hooker - originally from Canberra were he played for the Canberra Raiders Jersey Flegg side before joining Ipswich in the QLD Cup ( where Aaron Sweeney was a team mate). The son of former Canberra Raiders halfback, Chris O'Sullivan. 

"I watched all (Magpies) games in 2011 bar 2 and he was one of the gutsiest players every week. Workhorse in defence and dummy half play got better as the season wore on and he NEVER gave up. 

I remember him chasing a flying Daniel Mortimer down the sideline after he had made a break and another game against Central Coast at Campbelltown when they scored off an intercept from their own quarter line, Troy chased the bloke to make sure he scored in the corner and not under the posts - needless to say, they missed the conversion. 

All heart. Only found out before the presentation he played with a serious knee injury during the second half of the season. He'll be missed. And he's as quite as a mouse.

Just a shame he's going elsewhere next year as he would have been an ideal player to build a team around."

Email Sent in by a Magpies Member.

We encourage our supporters to send in their own Magpie interest stories past or present (photos are also appreciated) to westsmagpies@gmail.com so we can share them online.

Western Suburbs Magpies appoint Trevor Schodel as head coach for 2012

The Western Suburbs Magpies are pleased to announce that Trevor Schodel will be head coach of the VB NSW Cup team in 2012.

Trevor is a former livewire halfback who started his playing career for the famous Valley Diehards in the old Brisbane Competition. He is a former captain of the QLD and Australian U19s side. He was spotted playing for Valleys by the late Arthur Beetson who brought him down to Sydney to play for Cronulla during the early 1990's. From there Trevor joined the Canberra Raiders before ending his playing days in the Metropolitan Cup playing for Newtown, where he captained the Jets to the 1995 title and captained Wentworthville who were runners up in 98 & 99. He was also the winner of the Bill Buckley Medal as Best & Fairest in the Metropolitan Cup in 95 & 98.

His coaching career started mid season with the Newtown Jets in 2003. He has also coached in Group 6 with Moss Vale, in Group 7 with Kiama and was also an assistant with Cronulla in the NSW Cup in previous years and assistant for the NSW Residents.
In 2011, Trevor coached the St George Dragons SG Ball squad to the semi finals.

We wish Trevor all the best for season 2012.

David Harris - Runner Up as NSW Cup Player of the Year

Yet another accolade for David Harris. The Western Suburbs Magpies would like to congratulate our very own David Harris on finishing runner up to North Sydney's Beau Falloon in the 2011 NSW CUP Player of the Year award held tonight at the NSW Leagues Club. David, who is a local Campbelltown junior having played his junior footy at the Campbelltown City Kangaroos, finished on 23 votes just 2 votes behind Falloon. Going into the final round, David was actually leading the voting count but missed the crucial final match through injury whilst the Gold Coast Titans bound Falloon managed to gain the maximum 3 points in the final round for Norths against Wentworthville to take out the award finishing on 25 votes.

Congratulations David on a fantastic season - not only runner up as the NSW Cup player of the year but also named as one of the second rowers in the NSW Cup team of the year and winner of the Magpies Best and Fairest award.

Western Suburbs Magpies on Google+

Google+ is software giant Google's attempt at creating a Social Network to rival Facebook.

The Western Suburbs Magpies have joined the NRL and NSWRL and signed up to the new media making us the first NSW Cup Rugby League side to do so. Our Google+ account adds to our collection of social media which now includes a News Blog, Facebook, Twitter and of course our website.

All this is aimed at keeping our supporters as well informed as possible. View our new Google+ profile by clicking on the link below...

https://plus.google.com/116653903837433016574

Sponsor the Magpies in 2012

The Magpies are looking for local businesses of the Macarthur and surrounding districts that would be interested in supporting the continued development of local kid into NRL class players.

It doesn't matter how big or how small a sponsorship you can make, we need you to help us give these local kids the opportunities they deserve.

If you think you can help, call Mr. Robert Cairns on 0414 946 330